Martino A.
TO: Proximity Music Teams
FROM: Ali Martino
DATE: March 26, 2010
SUBJECT: Report Proposal for advertising on illegal downloading sites

Peer to peer file sharing was introduced by Napster in 1999. This would forever change the way individuals downlaoded music files. The increased popularity to illegally download lead to numerous lawsuits. But with new sites emerging and an increasing amount of people downloading illegally, the thought of being sued seems to be a thing of the past. I propose to write a report on the benefits on advertising on illegal downloading sites.


Need
Gen-Y is taking advantage of illegal downloading, with no aspiration of stopping. James Murdoch stated, "There's a new consumer class and you have to be consumer-friendly when they're stealing stuff." The increasing amount of individuals illegally downloading from sites such as limewire, indicates the advantages of advertising on these sites.

  • Illegal downloading will never end because the overwhelming amount of Gen-Y users.
  • Music rights holders need to find "new ways" and "new places" to generate income from their music, rather than chasing illegal downloads.
  • "Holders shouldtake part in the musical equivalent of giving away free ice-cream and selling advertising on the cones." (Michaels)
  • Illegal downloader's currently outnumber legal ones from about five to one.
8.5 million people throughout the world are busily swapping files online. Downloader's feel that illegal downloading is justified on the grounds that it is easy, widespread, and impossible to stop. With a P2P application installed on your computer, one can download music files from anywhere else in the world. This benificial information can be influential for Proximity clients who are seeking out new ways for advertising.

Topics:
The proposed report, " Advertising on Illegal Music Sites" will cover the following topics:

  • The rise of illegal downloading
  • The fight for prosecution
  • Future for illegal downloading
  • Benefits for advertising on these sites

    I would strongly suggest that you focus this as a case study on one of "these sites" such as Limewire. That will make it much easier to structure and write the final report. You can replace the third topic above, for example, with an overview of what the site is and how it works, and then the last topic can discuss the specific upside and downside to placing ads there.

The report will also include attachments that outline the gradual increase of illegal downloading and how that correlates to advertising benefit.


Sources:
The following items are key sources for the report on "Advertising on Illegal Music Sites"

Bonombo Pty. (January 3, 2010). The Past Present and Future of Downloading on the Internet. Retrieved April 13, 2010 from http://www.removeadware.com.au/articles/past-present-and-future-of-downloading-music-on-the-internet/

shows the beginning of how illegal downloading become prevalent,. the current downloading situation, and the future for illegal downloading. The artical states not only how illegal downloading came to be but talks about what the government is currently trying to do to prevent these actions.



Martinson, Jane. (March 10, 2010). James Murdoch: Illegal Downloading, no Different From Stealing a Hanfbag. Retrieved April 2, 2010 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/mar/10/murdoch-illegal-dowloading-stealing-handbag

Martinson talks about Mardoch's plan on the fight against illegal downloading. His views include the increased prosecution on individuals who download. Others state that some Gen-Y users don't consider it illegal. Even with the collaboration of new ways to prosecute, it wont stop illegal downloading.



Michaels, Sean. (August 4, 2008). Illegal Downloading is Here to Stay. Retrieved April 3, 2010 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/aug/04/illegal.downloading.is.here.to.stay

Michaels proves a very solid point that even with music sites decreasing their prices of songs, people will not change their routine to scope out there prices. It is much easier to just keep the "habit" of illegal downloading. Michaels also states that advertisers should look past the fact of illegal downloading and see the income advantages of advertising on these sites.



Cornelsen. (November 4, 2009). Music Downloads: The New Piracy. Retreived April 2, 2010 from http://www.cornelsen.de/oald/1.c.378215.de

It is understood in this article that there will never be an end to illegal downloading. Fans of illegal downloading say that the sales do not follow that an illegally downloaded track necessarily represents a lost sale. Research shows that most downloader's also purchase significantly more CDs than the average person.